154th New York Volunteer Infantry
Welcome to the Hardtack Regiment Web site. This site is intended to serve as a link between people interested in the Civil War history of the 154th New York Volunteer Infantry and me, the regimental historian, Mark H. Dunkelman.
(Click on image to enlarge.)
My interest in the 154th New York began during my childhood in the 1950s, when I learned that my great-grandfather, John Langhans (pictured above), served in the regiment. I soon discovered that the 154th’s legacy was neglected — a situation I determined to change. During decades of research I have contacted more than 1,000 descendants of members of the regiment, who have graciously allowed me access to more than 1,600 wartime letters, a score of diaries and accounts, 200 portraits, and other material. I have used these primary sources to write several books and numerous articles on various aspects of 154th New York history. Links to lists of my publications appear below.
Are you related to a member of the 154th New York? If so, I would very much like to add you to the roll of descendants of the regiment to represent your ancestor. Please e-mail me at NYVI154th@aol.com and include your name, postal mailing address, ancestor’s name, and your relationship to him. I will look forward to hearing from you!
Links to a complete roster of the 154th New York appear below. This roster includes the men’s vital statistics, where known. Any additions or corrections are welcome. I can provide you with your ancestor’s service record, augmented in many cases by mentions of him in the wartime letters and diaries of his comrades.
Since 1986, we descendants of the 154th New York have been gathering to represent and remember our ancestors at annual reunions in Cattaraugus, New York, where the regiment was raised. To mark our tenth reunion we raised funds and erected and dedicated a regimental monument at Chancellorsville, Virginia, the 154th's bloodiest battlefield. A link to a summary of our reunions appears below.
During the Civil War, the 154th New York earned the battle honors painted on its state flag: Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Lookout Valley, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Atlanta, Savannah, and the Campaign of the Carolinas. Combat casualties in the 154th totaled approximately 630; 232 members of the regiment died in the service. Collectively and individually, the soldiers of the 154th offer scores of subjects touching on many aspects of the war. The goal of my research and writing — and other commemorative projects — is to tell their stories and to make a once-forgotten regiment one of the best-documented units of the war. I dedicate my work to the memory of the soldiers of the Hardtack Regiment.
To hear me discuss my work on Civil War Talk Radio, click here and scroll to 9/2/05 in the Content Library.
154th NEW YORK ROSTER
Click below to view surnames beginning:
A-F
PLACES TO GO:
Summaries of the Annual Reunions
Last revised March 29, 2008.
Copyright © 1999 Mark H. Dunkelman
Special thanks to Karl D. Dunkelman, great-great-grandson
of Corporal John Langhans,
for his invaluable assistance in developing this site.